


13x04 Coda Kevin Cronin Sings From the Hair

by WaywardAF67



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 13x04 Coda, Angst, Episode: s13e04 coda, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Episode: s13e04 The Big Empty, Season/Series 13, Season/Series 13 Spoilers, maybe a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-31 04:17:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12674250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaywardAF67/pseuds/WaywardAF67
Summary: Castiel and Dean are finally reunited.





	13x04 Coda Kevin Cronin Sings From the Hair

Dean’s laying in bed at the latest no-tell. It’s the first time he’s tried sleeping without the aid of booze since-- well in a while. And that’s only because Sam has the car. Apparently, alongside lashing out at Dean, and putting him in his place, Sam now hits the bar to troll for strange. It’s an odd new world they are living in.

Not for the first time that night, Dean considers walking to a liquor store, but he can't find the energy. So he lay there on the scratchy sheets, Zepp blaring through his noise-canceling headphones, staring at the sketchy brown stain on the ceiling.  He thinks if he played the music loud enough, it would drown out the thoughts, but the only thing it's doing is giving him a headache.

It’s been about 36 hours since his last drink, and he’s starting to feel the shakes coming on. It feels worse than the time he quit drinking when he had the mark. He hasn’t felt this bad from withdrawal since the last time Cas died, and ain’t that just a bitch. Dean knows he has a drinking problem but has never considered himself an alcoholic. He’s joked about it from time to time but has always been able to stop when he wants. It’s not a healthy coping mechanism, but he still has control over it.

He’s browsing through his phone, making a playlist when he gets a text from Sam telling him he’s got a room on the next floor. Part of Dean is happy for his brother. He knows the relief a hookup can bring. Base instincts drive a brief encounter where you get to feel good, and, just for a little while, you don’t have to stop the world from ending. That's about the only break you get as a hunter. There is also a part of him, a more significant part, that hates he has to be alone. If he has to be sober, he’d prefer Sam to be there, chattering his ear off about the new murder podcast he just found. He sighs and turns over. He’s been a dick to Sam lately, and he wants to make amends. It never occurred to him that Mary always called him and came to him first, but it was true. And God help him, he actually wants to talk to Sam about it. He hopes they can work it out, and maybe work out a plan for Jack. As much as Dean tried to hate him, it was getting exhausting trying to keep up the facade. The fact is, he hated Jack so much because he reminds him of Cas. His wide-eyed innocents, the constant state of not understanding humans, and the starting. Oh God, the staring; that’s probably the worst part. He had given in before they left and told the kid he did a good job. Jack reacted solely on instinct to save Sam. That’s not enough for Dean to fully trust him, but it’s enough to stop being outright hostile.

Dean spends the next few hours tossing and turning. He's slightly nauseous and feels clammy. He never felt more shame than when he went through this; he couldn't even bring himself to think 'withdrawal' it's not like he drinks that much that often. The older he gets, the less he drinks, but he has been on one hell of a bender since Cas di-- since Jack was born. He switches from a screaming guitar to soft rock hoping to lull himself to sleep. If it works for Sam, it can work for him.

He rolls over on his side, facing the door, as Kevin Cronin sings about a feeling he just couldn’t fight anymore when he heard the flutter of wings. He chides himself, thinking the stupid song must be reminding him of Cas. He didn’t allow himself to turn over and check, knowing when he saw nothing but darkness, that would somehow hurt worse than a corny love song that happened to mirror his exact feelings.

Dean is just nodding off when he feels the bed shift, and fingers gently run through his hair. He slowly stretched his hand reaching for the demon blade. The hotel they are staying in is a more populated area than usual, and he didn’t want to shoot whoever snuck into his room. As he slowly shifted, pretending to be asleep still, his fingers brush the cool metal of the blade. Sam was out, and anyone else who would be there knew better than to sneak up on him, so when he moved, he was going in for the kill.

In a series of swift movements, he turns, pins the intruder down, and plunges Ruby’s knife straight into its heart. He's expecting a flicker from a dying demon, or a struggle, but instead, all he got was, “Hello, Dean.”

Dean jumps off the bed and falls back, scooting backward across the floor. He knows it isn't a shifter. In his heart, he can feel it's Castiel. His Cas, he just doesn't understand how. Cas gives him a small smile, only a slight upturn of his lips and pulls the blade from his chest. “We have got to stop meeting like this.”

A hysterical laugh bubbles up from Dean’s throat. Paralyzed, all he can do is sit and stare at Cas. “How,” he manages to croak. Cas walks over, offering his hand, pulling Dean off the ground and into a tight embrace.

“It’s complicated, Dean. I can feel how weary you are. You should rest, and I’ll explain everything later,” Cas says into Dean’s hair.

Dean buries his face in the crook of Cas’ neck, refusing to let go. He asks a muffled, “Was it, Chuck?” Cas laughs, it’s a bitter laugh, but a laugh all the same.

Pulling away, Cas adds, “No, it was a cosmic entity. Now sleep.”

Dean nods and sits on the edge of the bed, “Will you stay? And ah-- you know, watch over me?”

Cas kicks off his shoes and drapes his new coat over the bed where Sam was supposed to sleep. He doesn’t say a word, just climbs under the covers and lifts them up, letting Dean know he should join him; and he does.

The moment Dean’s head hits the pillow he feels more relaxed. He feels like it’s the first time he can sleep since he burned his best friends body. Just as Dean drifts off to sleep, he feels the fingers in his hair once again. Only this time, he leans into the touch.


End file.
